Double Double Barrel Ale
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Double Double Barrel AleDouble Double Barrel Ale
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From:
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
English Strong Ale
ABV:
12%
Score:
95
Avg:
4.29 | pDev: 8.86%
Reviews:
356
Ratings:
2,012
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 13, 2023
Added:
Jun 16, 2009
Wants:
  262
Gots:
  848
Includes Double DBA; ABV varies slightly by year

DDBA is our flagship beer brewed at double strength. It is amazingly similar in many respects to our barrel fermented DBA and possesses everything we love about that beer times two. English caramel malts lend rich toffee character that pairs well with assertive medium toast American oak barrels.
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Ratings by Vixie:
Photo of Vixie
Reviewed by Vixie from Florida

4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a nice looking red with a tan head that stays around longer than I expected due to the alcohol content.

Beers like this make me wish my sense of smell was sharper. I can really tell this is barrel aged, it has a nice smokey wood smell to it, and what I assume is the smell of bourbon. Bit of sweetness and a hint of coffee.

Has a sharp booze bite to it, I don't drink hard liquor, so my best guess is whiskey or bourbon. It is smokey, hints of caramel and coffee and chocolate.

Solid and silky smooth.

This is a big potent beer. Very much a sipper, but really nice. There is a lot going on here, all of it good. Glad I got a chance to try this, another great beer from FW.
Nov 22, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.16 by TheIPAHunter from California

Oct 13, 2023
 
Rated: 4.59 by Bhubbard34 from Pennsylvania

Oct 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4.08 by Dsimenson from California

Sep 28, 2023
Photo of TBoneJones
Reviewed by TBoneJones from Texas

4.16/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Deep clear ruby, sweet caramel smell. The barrel and leathery notes kick in this flavor. Caramel still lingers and it all feels fizzy in a pleasant way aftertaste-wise. I don’t drink too many different big beers anymore, but this one’s sweet but full of bitterness that tempers. As good as I hoped it’d be.
Sep 02, 2023
Photo of RaulMondesi
Reviewed by RaulMondesi from California

4.74/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
This one is almost the time of Plantagenets for Raul. Like, I imagine some fair maiden (who is more fair than others, if you catch my drift), and the Prince from another land together on a sultry night. The king serves prince this beer, and in the morning the maid has to clean the sheets. Yes, this beer is exactly that.
Aug 10, 2023
 
Rated: 4.52 by not2quick from Missouri

Jul 29, 2023
 
Rated: 4.52 by Beecham from California

Jul 20, 2023
Photo of cjgiant
Reviewed by cjgiant from District of Columbia

4.62/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
The pour is lovely - a clear rusty dark brown with solid head given the beer's strength. A small ring turns into a medium one with a gentle swirl, with some bubbles suspending above the beerline afterwards. The aromas start dark fruity - figs, raisin, and bourbon-soaked cherries, but the alcohol is actually a little on the strong side and its bite brings about an overall impression of spiced rum cake.

The first sip opens as a rich tea paired with a raspberry scone. The bourbon notes tickle the outside of my palate as high tea crosses right down the middle. Subsequent sips lose the anomalous tartness of the first one, returning the fruit flavor to cherry from raspberry - specifically the Luxardo cherries that some use for cocktail garnishes. That last note might help drive my thoughts about the beer overall.

The bourbon in noticeable, and there is a bit of a warm nip from the ABV of the beer. But what I really like about this beer is the dark bread I get from the malt that provides a strong backbone for the whole experience. It pairs with the the bourbon barrel notes to turn things into a rye whiskey feel. In fact, Double DBA actually reminds me of the classic straightforward whiskey drinks - mainly a rye Manhattan.

So a strong barrel influence that has the beer teetering on the edge of being not beer-like, but it stays close enough for me with the tea-like flavors I associate with an ESB. Speaking of that, I do not think this beer is categorized properly here - it should be an American strong ale, and I think it's a pretty good one.
May 28, 2023
Photo of pants678
Reviewed by pants678 from California

3.6/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Light brown red, off white foam.

Malty, sorta fruity,

Malty but not roasty, distant notes of caramel, bitter but no flavor from hops. Alcohol is apparent but not piercing. Just needs something else.

Easy to get at, very light body.
May 20, 2023
 
Rated: 4.35 by Cpmitchno1 from Virginia

May 18, 2023
Photo of sjrider
Reviewed by sjrider from California

4.35/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottle pour - dark brown/mahogany with short foamy khaki head leaving scattered lacing and a ring of tiny bubbles. Nose is mildly sweet and fragrant with hints of dark stone fruit, brown sugar and barrel woody booze. Taste follows with lingering alcohol creep on the finish.
May 17, 2023
 
Rated: 4.39 by Thirstygoat from Illinois

Nov 20, 2022
Photo of jrc1093
Reviewed by jrc1093 from Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
2012 vintage; consumed on 5/21/2022

Pours a crystal-clear deep ruby hue topped with a finger and a half of fluffy, off-white foam; solid head retention leaves a spotty few islands of chunky cap, an expansive, frothy collar, and limited gobs of dense, webby lacing spattered around the walls of the glass.

Aroma opens to cherry cut with residual brown sugar undertones as floral hops burst forth, imparting notes of amaro and light varnish into flambéed grapefruit over the middle, while caramel malts meet a grassy prickle on the back end of the bouquet and musty cocoa lingers.

Taste offers caramel and lighter shades of vanilla upfront, with charry butterscotch finding prickly oak over the mid-palate; root beer tones emerge from a floral liqueur-laced back end, wavering into a delicately boozy orange peel finish.

Mouthfeel brings a medium body with a rounded, moderate carbonation; almost oily/syrupy textures remain slick over the mid-palate, where a quick drying results in a distant prickle, leaving a noncommittal bitterness on the back end and a nearly paper-dry close.

Stunningly resilient at a decade in the bottle, this ale shines proudly as a successfully amplified iteration of a traditionally milder style; the firm malt backbone is expressive throughout, and the floral hops are persistent and endlessly in tandem with their caramel-leaning counterpart; a polished example of quality brewing built to withstand time.
May 22, 2022
 
Rated: 4.29 by GaryM6 from New York

Jan 28, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by TallGuyCM from California

Jun 15, 2020
 
Rated: 4.45 by jmbeerdude91 from Arizona

Mar 04, 2020
 
Rated: 3.99 by szmnnl99 from Michigan

Feb 09, 2020
Photo of Huhzubendah
Reviewed by Huhzubendah from District of Columbia

4.08/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Bottle shared by Dave. Thanks man!

2014 vintage

Copper crimson body with a half inch of soapy, khaki-hued head. Aromas of oak, vanilla, caramel, sweet bread. This beer has developed with age, akin to a strong English barleywine.
Mar 30, 2019
Photo of ScruffySouthpaw
Reviewed by ScruffySouthpaw from New York

4.29/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Vintage 2014 bottle served in a tulip glass.

Appearance: Semi hazy amber color with light sediment in the glass with a mahogany tint to the glass. Orange tinted white head with a sticky head which initially rose roughly half a finger's length.

Smell: lighter butterscotch scent. Comes and goes and though great lacks that touch of potency to the nostrils.

Taste: Maltier than most English barleywines, still retains a nice light Woody finish with light feel of whiskey and light toffee.

Mouth: Medium carbonation but sticky beer with a mild bitter finish. I will tell you this, if you can smell with your mouth, there's a lot of body to the brew.

Overall: Good brew, took my time drinking this gem and wouldn't trade it for the world. I treat classics like this they way they should. Salud!
Mar 25, 2019
Double Double Barrel Ale from Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 2012 ratings